Hydraulic elevator



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

N. P. OTIS.

HYDRAULIC ELEVATOR. No. 354,070. Patented Dec. 7, 1886.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

N. P. OTIS.

HYDRAULIC ELEVATOR.

No 354,070. Patented Dec. 7, 1886.

N. PETERS, PhnlDLilhbgr-lphnr. Wnh nglou. 91c.

' UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIQE,

NORTON P. OTIS, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK.

HYDRAULIC ELEVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 354:,070, datedDecember '7, 1886,

Application filed June 533, 1886. Serial No. 206,017. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, NORTON P. OTIS, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Yonkers, Westchester county, New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Hydraulic Elevators, of which thefollowing is a specification.

In that class of hydraulic elevatingengines in which the watercirculates through outside pipes from one. end of the cylinder to theother it is common to maintain that end of the cylinder into which thepiston rod or rods pass in continuous communication with the source ofsupply, so that when the water circulates from the end of the cylindercontaining the piston-rods to the opposite end sutficient water can passfrom the supply-pipe to compensate for the space taken up by thepiston-rods and supply the deficiency which would otherwise existin thespace upon the opposite side of the piston. In order to avoid thenecessity of maintaining this continuous communication between thesupply-pipe and the cylinder, I combine with the cylinder a valvedevice, constructed as fully set forth hereinafter, to wholly cut offthe communication with the source of supply when the piston is at rest,and when the water is circulating from end to end of the cylinder, andalso to put the circulating pipe or cylinder in communication with thedischarge-tank whenever the valve device is arranged to permit the waterto circulate.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation showing thecylinder, piston, circulating-pipes, valve device, inlet and dischargepipes of a vertical-cylinder elevator-engine, the parts being shown inthe positions occupied when the piston is at rest. Fig. 2 is an enlargedView in section of the valve device, showing the position of the partswhen the water is flowing through the valve device under pressure tolift the load. Fig. 3 is the same as shown in Fig. 2, showing theposition the parts will occupy when the water is flowing from one end ofthe cylinder to the other. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the valvedevice combined with an engine having a horizontal cylinder.

1 is the cylinder; 2, the piston; 3, the piston-rods; 4 5, thecirculatingpipes; 6, the supply-pipe; 7, the discharge-pipe of theelevator-engine; and A is the valve device, and B the tank intowhich'the water is discharged from the cylinder.

In the casing 8 of the valve device move the piston-valves on a rod orstem, 2}, carrying the disks or pistons 10, 11, 12, and v13, the disks11 12 constituting one wide piston-valve, s, and the disk 13constituting a narrow piston-valve, t, the upper disk, 10, fitting acontracted portion of the casing and serving to close the latter andcounterbalance the valves, and the casing being contracted at the points14 15 16, enlarged at the intermediate points and closed at the. lowerend.- The valves are adapted to the contracted portions 14, 15, and 16of the casing. The supply-pipe 6 communicates with the casing above thepoint 14. The circulating-pipe 4t communicates with the cats ing betweenthe points 14 and 15, the circulating -pipe 5 between the points 15 and16, and the discharge-pipe 7 between the point 16 and the end of thecasing.

In order to secure proper bearings for the usual packings at theperipheries of the pistons, I prefer to use perforated linings orsleeves 17 and 18, the upper sleeve, 17, of sufficient length to inelosethe valve 8 at all points of its travel, and the lower sleeve equal inlength to the throw of the valve t.

The valves are moved within the casing by means of the usual hand-ropeor other operating appliance extending to or connected with the cage ofthe elevator in a manner too well known to need particular description.

In order to arrest the movement of the main piston and of the cage, theparts are brought to the position shown in Fig. 1,with the valve 8opposite or within the enlarged portion of the casing between the points14 and 15, thereby closiug the passage of water in either direc tion toor from the circulatingpipe 4, the valve 25 being within the contractedportion 16 of the casing and preventing water from passing to and fromthe circulating-pipe 5. The entire body of water in the cylinder 1 isthus confined in both ends of the working-cylinder, and the cylinder iscut off from communication atall points with either the supply ordischarge pipe.

WVhen it is required to depress the piston and lift the cage orplatform, the parts are brought to the position shown in Fig. 2, with'the upper end of the cylinder.

the valve 3 Opposite the contracted portion 15 of the case, and thevalve t at the lower end of the case, so that water under pressure willpass above the valve 3 and through the valvecasing to the pipe 4, andthence into the cylinder 1 above the piston 2, while the water frombelow the piston will pass out through the pipe 5, the valve-casingabove the valve 15, and discharge-pipe 7, intothetank B. When themovement of the piston is to be reversed, the'parts are brought to theposition shown in Fig. 3, with the valve 8 opposite the contractedportion 14 and the valve t above the con tracted portion 16 of thecasing, whereby all communication with the supply-pipe 6 will be cutoff, and both the circulating-pipes 4 and 5 will be put in communicationwith each other through the casing, while the latter is also maintainedin communication with the tank B through the pipe 7. Under thesecircumstances the weight of the cage will lift the piston 2 in thecylinder 1, and the water will pass from above the piston 2, through thepipe 4, valve-casing, and pipe 5, to the lower end of the cylinder, andas the presence of the pistonrods in the part of the cylinder above thepiston diminishes the capacity of the latter, so that the water fromabove will not fully supplythe space below the piston, the additionalquantity necessaryto compensate for this deficiency will flow freelyfrom the tank 13, through the pipe 7, and casing, and pipe 5.

When the position of the valve is reversed, as shown in Fig. 2, thecontents of the cylinder below the pistons 2 will be discharged, whilethe water under pressure will flow int-o When a horizontal cylinder isused, the same valve arrangement may be employed, the pipes 4 and 5being extended horizontally to the ends of the cylinder, as shown inFig. 4.

Although I have referred to the valves as consisting of two pistons, 11and 12, it will be evident that a single thick piston may be substitutedfor two separate pistons without any practical difference in the result.

I am aware that it has been proposed to construct a valve device with acasing, ports, piston, and valves arranged to close all the portssimultaneously by a single throw of the valves, and that it is not newto make a valve device consisting of a casing, piston, and valvesarranged to open a connection with the discharge in circulating. I

My improved device difiers from the construction above described in thefact that when the valves are set to arrest the machine the upper portis absolutely closed and the lower circulating-port is cut off fromconnection with the tank by the valve, while when the valves are set topermit a circulation there is a connection betweenthe lowercirculating-port and the discharge-tank, permittingthe water to flowupward from the discharge tank and through the lower circulating-port.

Without limiting myself to the precise construction and arrangement ofparts shown, I claim 7 1. The valve-casingcommunicating with thesupply-pipe, discharge-pipe extending below the water in thedischarge'tank, and two circulating-pipes, combined with avalve-stemcarrying two valves, one valve arranged to close the port of onecirculatingpipe when the other valve closes communication between thedischarge-pipe and the adjacent circulatingpipe, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination, with the cylinder, piston, and circulating-pipes, ofa valve-casing com municating centrally with said circulatingpipes,inlet-pipe communicating with a supply-reservoir and with one end of thecasing, discharge-pipe extending from opposite end of easing below waterin a tank, and a stem carrying two valves, s t, and balance-disk 10, thevalves arranged to close the port of one circulating-pipe when thecommunication between the other and the discharge-pipe is also closed,substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the cylinder, piston, valve-casing, andcirculating-pipes connecting with the casing, of an inlet-pipeconnecting with the casing, a discharge-pipe ex tending from the casingto and below the level of water in a tank, and valves, arrangedsubstantially as described, to close the port of one inletpipe by onevalve when the other valve closes the communication between the othercirculating-pipe and its. adjacent pipe,-substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

NORTON P. OTIS.

\Vitnesses:

JAMns S. Frron, MARTIN BLAUVELT.

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